May 2003

shaped differefitly. “Women are not all alike, nor do
we have the same sexual preferences,” she states. In
fact, the differences between the vibrators could be
an indication of the differences between women.
Some vibes are dolphin-shaped, some resemble
goddesses, and still others are modelled after the
less imaginative penis. I particularly like the angel
and devil pairing. The angel is a woman with small
wings and a halo over her curly locks; the devil has
pointy Bart Simpson hair and wears a diabolical
grin.

King states that the key to finding something you
like is to find a sex store that you trust, identify
what you want, and divulge your price range. The
Internet can also be a good source of information,
or a place to shop, for that matter. Both Womyn's
Ware and Fuller’s company, BodyVox, allow
women to make purchases online, from the com-
fort of their own homes.
But, be informed about
what you are looking for
and how much you want to
spend. Prices start as low as
25 dollars for the Mini-
Pearl, a clitoral stimulator,
to over a hundred dollars
for something like the Clit
Lane, a dual vibrator allow-
ing both clitoral and pene-
trative stimulation.

If you don’t know what
you want or like sexually,
begin by asking yourself
some questions: Do you
prefer internal or external
stimulation? How much stimulation? For first-time
buyers, King recommends something multi-speed
and not too pricey. “You don’t want to get home
and feel like you've been ripped off,” she states.
Buying something inexpensive is a way to experi-
ment and find out what you like. King adds, “You
might want to consider a product that can be acces-
sorized, or added to later, to give you more
options.”

Once you know what you want, consider the

‘At Womyn's Ware,
the vibrators are
out of their boxes,
batteries intact, so

you can get a feel
for them.”

product, itself. What's it made of? Is there a war-
ranty? These are two questions I never would have
considered asking, prior to visiting the store. Some
products, for instance, are guaranteed for up to a
year.

An important piece of information to keep in
mind, though, is that the sex-toy industry is self-
regulating. Health Canada removed toxic children’s
toys from the market, but failed to do the same
with sex toys. This means there are still toxic vibra-
tors and dildos out there, and it’s important to edu-
cate yourself about what substances are safe for
your body. Rubber and soft vinyl products, for
example, contain chemicals such as lead and cad-
mium, which are extremely dangerous when
absorbed. Jelly products are in a constant state of
deterioration. Silicone, on the other hand, is
hypoallergenic and non-porous, but more expen-
sive. It doesn’t leach and
wont break down, so you
wont absorb it into your
system. Another advantage
is that silicone companies
tend to be smaller and
woman-dominated, so
their _— designs
women’s needs.

Something else to take
into account when buying
a vibrator is your home
environment. Some vibes

reflect

are waterproof because
often the only sanctuary a
woman has is her bath.
Others look more discreet,
so if found, their use is not obvious. Smooth, con-
toured vibrators, for instance can easily be disguised
as a container of some sort. Noise may also be a
concern if you have room-mates or kids. At
Womyn's Ware, the vibrators are out of their boxes,
batteries intact, so you can get a feel for them and
see how loud they are. The choice in vibrators is
amazing. They've come a long way.

The first vibrator, invented in 1869, was a steam-
powered massager invented in 1869. Up until

http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca_ se.

Features ¢ the other press ©

around the 1900s, they were used exclusively by
doctors as medical tools to treat female disorders
such as “hysteria.” Though hysteria has since been
debunked as a disease, the term was used to
describe a woman’s display of mental or physical
distress.

By the 1920s, vibrators were marketed as cure-
alls for ills ranging from headaches and asthma to
fading beauty. The ad copy for these vibrators was
coy and ambiguous. “Almost like a miracle is the
miraculous healing force of massage when rightly
applied,” reads one advertisement. Miraculous
indeed. These ads never acknowledged the vibra-
tor’s usefulness for masturbation, but as vibrators
began appearing in stag films of the 1920s, their
sexual function became difficult to ignore. Most
likely as a result of this increased publicity, adver-
tisements for vibrators, or massagers, gradually dis-
appeared from respectable publications.

Even today, electric vibrators are marketed as
massagers and battery vibrators as novelty items in
Triple X stores. They are sold in drug stores, depart-
ment stores, and even through the Sears catalogue.

In Canada, Womyn’s Ware is the oldest store
openly celebrating women’s sexuality. In the eight
years the store has been open, King has noticed
some changes, particularly in the clientele and the
questions they ask. “We used to spend 45 minutes
with a customer—talking to them. Now it’s often
two minutes,” she says. “Customers will come in
and know exactly what they want. They're more
knowledgeable and will ask about warranties and
what the products are made of.”

Occasionally, even parents will come into the
store to buy vibrators for their daughters. I try to
imagine my mum going in to a sex store to buy a
toy for me when I was a teen, but quickly realize the
improbability of that. King also mentions two
sixty-year-old women who recently came into the
store to purchase their first vibrators.

“Sexual satisfaction seems like an indulgence, but
it’s extremely important to our overall satisfaction,”
she emphasizes. Walking out of the store, vibrator
in hand, I couldn't agree more.

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